Article citationsMore>>

World Bank (2020). Capital Markets and SMEs in Emerging Markets and Developing Economies: Can They Go the Distance? The World Bank Group.
https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/270221582271669731/pdf/Capital-Mar-kets-and-SMEs-in-Emerging-Markets-and-Developing-Economies-Can-They-Go-the-Distance.pdf

has been cited by the following article:

• TITLE: Automation and Cost Structures in SMEs: Are Small Firms Disadvantaged vs. Multinationals?

  AUTHORS: Suman Banerjee, Aayush Dhar, Kush Dave, Ayushmaan Mukherjee

  KEYWORDS: Finance, Automation, MNCs, SMEs, Artificial Intelligence, RBV, Economies of Scale, Technology

  JOURNAL NAME: Open Journal of Business and Management, Vol.14 No.2, March 10, 2026

  ABSTRACT: This paper examines how automation reshapes the cost structures of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) compared to multinational corporations (MNCs). Using the dual lenses of economies of scale and the resource-based view, the study analyzes financial, human capital, and informational constraints that disadvantage SMEs in adopting capital-intensive technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and enterprise platforms. Comparative case studies from Germany, Japan, India, Sub-Saharan Africa, the United States, and the European Union highlight persistent adoption gaps shaped by institutional context. Findings suggest that while automation-as-a-service and supply-chain integration offer partial relief, structural disadvantages risk widening productivity inequalities worldwide.